GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS BUILDING SABAH-LABUAN BRIDGE

LABUAN (Malaysia), March 5 (Bernama) -- The federal government is willing to
consider building a bridge to link Labuan island with mainland East Malaysia
state of Sabah, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday.

Towards this end, the prime minister asked the Economic Planning Unit to
conduct a feasibility study on the matter.

"It's not going to be immediate but I hope that it will become a reality,"
he told reporters after performing the groundbreaking ceremony for the Halal
Distribution Hub here.

He said a bridge would not only facilitate communication but would also help
develop Labuan, including in the halal food industry.

"There may not be enough supply in Labuan for this industry and we may have
to source from Sabah. So we need to look into the feasibility of building a
bridge," he said.

Abdullah said Labuan had potential to become a manufacturing and
distribution hub for halal goods in Southeast Asia.

"This halal distribution hub project is a big project for Labuan. For
starters, we will focus on one aspect, namely food and products from the sea.

"We want the halal seafood products to be clean and of quality which can be
marketed not only in the domestic market but also overseas," he said, expressing
hope that the halal industry in Labuan would expand and produce other pducts.

Abdullah also called on the small- and medium-scale industries (SMIs) to
venture into the halal industry and thus, help develop the economy of this
duty-free island.

"The halal industry should not be confined to the big companies. We also
want participation from the small- and medium-scale industry operators with not
so big capital so that everyone will enjoy the fruit of development," he said.

In this context, he said, the Labuan Corporation was currently developing
sites for the SMIs in Kampung Ranca-Ranca, near here.

On the potential of the halal industry in the country, Abdullah said the
market for halal goods was big, to the tune of US$3 trillion.

"It's not small. So, we must seize this opportunity and participate actively
and seriously and develop the halal industry in this country to make it a new
growth sector.

"This halal is not only about things that the Muslims can eat. This halal is
more than that...the food must be good and healthy for us. I see that our
country can become the biggest halal goods producer in the world in future," he
said.

To achieve this vision, he said, all parties, especially the companies and
halal industry operators, must be committed to producing halal products,
including cosmetics and pharmaceauticals, of high quality.

Earlier, in his speech, Abdullah expressed the hope that Labuan would become
a renowned tourist destination in the country and said that the government would
help it attact more tourists.

He also hoped that he crime rate, especially drug abuse, could be reduced.
-- BERNAMA